In Your Arms
by vampirediva07
Summary: Lancelot is a loner, that is until he meets Paige, a mysterious young woman that he rescues one night. Can she win over the knight with a cold heart? Please read and review nicely! Comments welcome.
1. Rescued

**A/N: I don't own King Arthur…so yeah…not mine. **

Lancelot paced the palace walls for the thousandth time, watching the horizon to the north. It was tedious work, but someone had to do it. Bors was busy with his eleven children and recently found out Venora was expecting a twelfth child soon. Arthur had just recently been married to Guinevere, so he was not available. Galahad and Gawain had gone off to visit their families in Sarmatia. So, no other knight was going to keep watch.

It was cold outside and fresh snow covered the ground. Lancelot always loved snow, even as a child. When he was a boy, his father would take him out horseback riding in the snow. In Sarmatia, the mountains were the perfect place to ride in the snow and spend time with a family member. Ever since he left Sarmatia, he missed those days with his father. He also missed the warm blankets his mother would make for him and his sister. But, most of all, he missed his family.

As his thoughts drifted to home, he found himself being knocked back into reality by a piercing scream coming from the bottom of the wall.

"HELP ME, PLEASE!" a young woman cried in front of the door.

Lancelot jumped down the stairs to the door and opened it to find the young woman collapsed in front of the door. She was in poor condition as Lancelot could easily see bruises and cuts along her arms, face, and legs. In addition to that, she was poorly clothed and freezing to death. As soon as he walked outside of the door, she collapsed into his arms and slipped into unconsciousness. Quickly, he held tight to her and began to run back into the castle to find help.

He found the palace physician and woke him in the middle of the night. Once the doctor was awake, he took the young woman into his care and told Lancelot to wait outside the infirmary. After what seemed like hours, the physician stepped out of the room to speak with Lancelot.

"She will live, but only God knows what has happened to her. From what I can tell, she has been severely beaten by someone. Until she wakes and can tell us what happened to her, we will not know for sure. For now, she is in God's hands," the doctor explained.

"You, Arthur, and your God," Lancelot muttered so low that the doctor could not hear him. "Can I go in and see her?"

"I think that would be alright. After all, you are her rescuer," the doctor said.

Lancelot nodded and walked into the room. The young woman was lying on a bed, covered by a white sheet pulled all the way up to her neck. Though she was hurt, she was still beautiful with her red curls draped around her head like an angel's halo. Her cuts and bruises had all been cleaned and dressed.

_"What the hell happened to this woman?" _Lancelot asked himself silently.

Quietly, he sat in a chair in the corner of the room to watch over her should she wake. After a few hours, Lancelot finally nodded off into sleep. He dreamed of his family in Sarmatia. In his dream, he saw his sister fully grown with a family of her own. A family that he would never know. He knew in his heart that whatever nieces and nephews he had would never know of their Uncle Lancelot who left years ago to be a knight for a cause not his own. The dream also drifted to his parents. His mother and father, older in age, sitting in front of the hut he grew up in, watching the sun set behind the mountains.

Lancelot was awakened by a soft voice coming from the other side of the room.

"Where am I?" the young woman asked.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the woman sitting up in the bed, looking very confused and frightened.

"You are safe now," he replied. "What is your name?"

"Paige," she answered softly. "Who are you? I remember you from last night. You rescued me"

"My name is Lancelot," he simply said.

"Well Lancelot, thank you for rescuing me when I needed it most," she said politely. "What is this place?"

"This is Hadrian's Wall," Lancelot said.

"I have heard stories of this place and the knights who fought here," she exclaimed.

"I was such a knight," he replied.

"You were?" she asked.

"Indeed, I fought alongside Arthur and the other knights against the Saxons," he answered.

"Those stories of brave knights always gave me hope in my darkest hours," she stated quietly.

"Who harmed you?" he bluntly asked.

Paige suddenly avoided eye contact with Lancelot, as if she were ashamed. He knew that she would not talk about it right away either, so he reassured her right away.

"If you do not wish to tell me right away, I respect that decision. Just know that you can always tell me when you are ready. Believe me, the person who did this will be brought to justice. I promise you that," he said.

Paige nodded and replied, "Thank you for understanding."

Lancelot left the room to give Paige some privacy so that she could clean herself up. He walked all the way back to his own room. The whole way there, he pondered to himself who would hurt someone so beautiful as Paige. As he promised to her, he promised to himself to bring that person to justice.

**A/N: Sorry this is so short, but I wanted to wait until the next chapter to post the good stuff. Hope you like this so far. I am a big Lancelot fan, so there will be LOTS of him in this story. **


	2. The Secret

The next few weeks passed by quickly. Paige began to heal not only physically, but also emotionally. She spent time with Guinevere talking like young women will. From what Guinevere could tell, Paige had never had this kind of attention showered on her in her life. So, in order to secure her emotions, Guinevere treated her like a sister.

"Guinevere," Paige said one afternoon, "I have fallen for someone, but I do not know how he feels about me."

"This someone, is he a certain knight by the name of Lancelot?" Guinevere asked, smiling knowingly.

Paige blushed slightly and replied, "Yes. Ever since he rescued me that night, I have felt something inside myself that I could neither explain or comprehend."

"That is normal for you to feel like that. I felt the same way when Arthur came into my life. He rescued me as well from a prison-like existence and freed me," Guinevere said, pausing to gather her thoughts before continuing. "Paige, the night you came here, you were badly injured. I am no fool, so I know something happened to you that you are not telling me."

"I do not know where to begin," Paige sighed. "It started after my mother died. My father blamed me for her death because my birth put too much strain on her. She died when I was about two years old. From that time on, he would punish me for the slightest mistake I made in comparison to my older brother, Tai. When I was about seventeen, he got tired of me and sold me into slavery because he did not want me."

"That is horrible," Guinevere gasped.

"I served in a household for nearly three years, until I neared my twentieth birthday, then I was sold again to another household a few weeks ago. This home was much different than my other one. In this home, I was pampered and fed well for no work. All the other women servants of the home pitied me and I never caught onto why until the night I left," Paige explained, her voice quivering. "That night I was specially dressed in elegant robes and taken to another part of the house that I had never seen before. It was the master's side of the house. There, I was presented to my master for the first time in an elegant throne room for him to look at and decide his approval. I assumed that all servants went through the same thing before they were to work. My master looked me over and nodded in approval. He signaled for me to be removed to another room. From there I was taken to another room, my clothing was removed and I was bathed in elegant oils, soaps, and my hair was taken down and brushed."

At this point, Guinevere was completely engrossed in Paige's tale. She nodded in understanding of what Paige was saying.

"After being bathed, a soft robe was draped over my shoulders. The women in charge of me kept saying, 'You must please the master for him to like you.' Of course I assumed they meant for me to work hard. It was only when they placed me on a bed that I began to ponder the meaning of everything I was going through that night. I clasped the robe around me tightly as I laid on the bed alone. Moments later, my master appeared in the room in a robe similar to mine. He sat on the other side of the bed and softly said to me, 'Tonight you will be broken in and be mine.' After saying that, he began to remove my robe. I fought it and he hit me. I realized what was going to happen to me and I did not want it to happen. I kept fighting, but I was not strong enough. He held my wrists to the bed as he ripped my robe off. I felt violated. He let go of my wrists long enough to pull his own robe off. I tried to fight back and he again hit me. From there, he pinned me with he weight and took my virtue away from me. I finally found the strength to run when he fell asleep a while later."

Guinevere gasped and was in tears for her newfound friend. She did not know what to say to comfort Paige. The only thing she could offer was her hand and an offer of help.

"Paige, that is an awful thing to go through. I cannot imagine what you are going through, but I am always here if you need to talk," Guinevere said.

"Thank you. I just do not know how to tell Lancelot. I have gotten to know him over the past few weeks and he seems so protective. If I told him the truth, I am sure he would try to hunt down and kill the man. But…there is something else," Paige replied.

"What is it?" Guinevere asked.

Paige began sobbing. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto her dress. It was clear that she was ashamed about something else. Finally, after a few minutes, Paige regained her composure enough to speak.

"Lancelot would never love me," Paige cried.

"Why ever not?" Guinevere inquired.

"Because I carry another man's child! That night I conceived a child when my master took my virtue!" Paige exclaimed.

"Did you give it to him willingly?" Guinevere asked.

"No, I did not. He stole it from me," Paige answered.

"Then it is not your fault. Lancelot would never judge you for that. If I know him, he would help you even more and want to kill the bastard responsible for hurting you," Guinevere reassured Paige.

More tears fell from Paige's eyes as she leaned her head on Guinevere's shoulder for comfort. Her body racked with violent sobs for a few minutes. When her sobs softened to whimpers, Guinevere looked her in the eyes.

"You are going to have to tell him sooner or later. A secret like that cannot stay secret for long. Lancelot will want to help you and it may possibly make him love you more because you have overcome so much. He will admire your strength," Guinevere explained.

Paige nodded in agreement and said, "You are right, I will tell Lancelot."

"Tell me what?" Lancelot asked as he walked through the door.

A look of terror fell across Paige's face when he walked in. The words would not come out of her mouth. She looked to Guinevere for strength and was met with a kind, reassuring face. Guinevere gave her a look that told her everything would be fine.

"I will leave you two alone to talk," Guinevere said, getting up and walking out of the room, leaving Paige alone with Lancelot.

**A/N: So, what do you think of Paige's character? Good, bad, both? Let me know!**


	3. The Dam Breaks Free

There was an awkward silence between Lancelot and Paige after Guinevere left the room. She could not bring herself to tell him the truth about the night she was rescued. Tears welled up in her eyes and started falling down her cheeks. Lancelot reached out and wiped them away with his fingers and began reassuring her.

"Shhh, it is alright," he said, "I am here and nothing is going to happen to you. You can tell me what is bothering you."

"I do not know how to tell you," she replied sorrowfully.

"Just tell me how you wish to tell me," he said.

It was as if a dam broke free from Paige as she proceeded to tell him the story of being sold into slavery by her father and finally of the night with her master. Lancelot listened with patience and understanding. When she told him of what her master had done to her, he was angry and wanted to kill the man. Paige calmed him down enough to talk again. She paused for a while and silence filled up the room.

"There is something else you are not telling me," he said, raising one eyebrow.

"Because I am afraid of what you will say. I know you will be angrier than you already are," she said.

"I will never hurt you for what you say," he reassured her. "Please tell me."

"The night my master took my virtue, I also conceived a child," she replied, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"Why did you not tell me sooner?" he gently asked.

"I was afraid that you would not wish to speak with me again for carrying another man's child," she sobbed.

"I would never do that. It was not your fault that this happened, but this child is also a gift," he explained.

"How is it a gift when the father did such a horrible crime to create this child?" she asked.

"Because the mother was innocent. I would like to help, that is, if you will let me," Lancelot answered.

"I would like that," she replied.

"First, I am going to track that bastard down and kill him for the pain he caused you," he stated.

"Lancelot, it is no use. He is probably gone anyways because he moves homes every few months. Please, just stay here. For me," Paige begged.

Lancelot nodded and said, "If that is what you want."

"It is. Thank you for understanding my wishes and thank you for comforting me," she said.

"You are welcome. I would do anything for you," he replied.

Paige smiled at Lancelot and for the first time he smiled back. The realization that she was going to have a child slowly sunk into the back of Paige's mind. Her only regret was that it was not the child of a man she loved. They stared at one another for a few moments. Lancelot had never really looked Paige in the eyes before, now he noticed that she had brilliant green eyes, which complimented her red curls.

Slowly, he placed his hand on her cheek to wipe the few more tears that had fallen. Paige smiled at him again and he gently pulled her forward to his lips for a soft kiss. She neither resisted nor complained. It was the first real kiss she had ever received and it was from Lancelot. When the kiss was broken, he spoke first.

"Paige, when you first came here, I was alone. My best friend had just been married and my other friends were either dead or gone home to their families in Sarmatia. I saw your strength to overcome such pain and I became enraptured with you. Your smile pulls my heart towards you. Now that I know what caused you so much pain, I want to protect you even more and your child," Lancelot confessed.

"You care for me?" she asked, stunned.

"Very much so. When I am around you, there is a light inside me that extinguishes the pain of loneliness. It was as if the gods opened up the heavens and sent you to me," he said.

"Then I must tell you that I am glad that you were my rescuer. From the moment I opened my eyes from unconsciousness and saw you sitting there, I knew you were different from all the other men in my life. I have seen so much pain in your eyes when you were thinking, yet so much light in them when you are happy," Paige said.

"Surely you must know that it is you who makes me happy," Lancelot said.

"Though I do not understand how. I am of no mortal beauty or value. I was once a slave, worthless and low. You are a knight of honor and grace," she explained.

"Let no man tell you that you are worthless or unbeautiful. You are worth everything and the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life," he stated.

"You believe me beautiful?" she asked, shocked.

"Of course. There is no other woman as beautiful as you," he replied.

"How could you ever love me when I am no longer a virgin and carry another man's child?" she inquired.

"That man took your virtue from you. To me, you are still a virgin until you willingly give that virtue to the man of your choosing. That child is not evil, therefore I cannot hate it, but only love it as I do it's mother," Lancelot answered wholeheartedly.

Small tears streamed down Paige's face once again, only in joy. Her whole life she had waited to admit love to a man and he admit it to her. That dream was becoming reality as she realized his confession before her eyes. Again, Lancelot wiped her tears from her cheeks. She laid her head on his shoulder and touched her stomach where she knew her child was. Finally, for the first time in her chaotic life, there was some sliver of hope for normalicy. For now, she was content to be beside Lancelot for a while.

**A/N: This chapter is set three months after the first one, so Paige is about three months pregnant. About pictures of the characters, I will try to upload a hyperlink of people that would look like them. The only one that I would have to stretch for is Paige. The rest are from the movie "King Arthur," so visualize them or look on the movie website for photos.**


	4. Some Surprises

Paige stood on the wall just before sunrise. The breeze flowed through her red curls easily. She loved the early morning hours the best because it was peaceful. As she stared off into space, a small kick came from her stomach reminding her that the baby was awake and active. The ripple across her abdomen caused her to laugh and place her hand on her small, rounded stomach.

"I see that you are an early riser too," she said.

A smile formed across her mouth as Paige thought of how near it was until she would meet the baby. Half of a year had already passed since she first came to the wall. The first three months were hardest because she was frightened all the time of being returned to slavery. But, the last three months had been better. Lancelot was always at her side, taking care of her and making sure she did not overdo things. It was as if he were preparing for his first child as well. Paige wondered what he would do when it came time for the baby to be born. However, she shoved that thought back into her mind and continued to enjoy the sunrise.

* * *

Later that day, Lancelot and Arthur decided to go on a hunt. Before leaving, Lancelot made sure Guinevere was with Paige. Once reassured that nothing would happen, the two men left the wall and set out to hunt. While riding, Arthur and Lancelot engaged in a brotherly conversation.

"How is Paige doing?" Arthur asked.

"She is doing well, but sometimes I think she is doing more than she should in her condition," Lancelot answered.

"You sound just like a father-to-be does," Arthur joked. "What will you do when the baby is born?"

"I am going to be there, come Hell or high waters, I am going to be with Paige when the baby is born," Lancelot answered confidently.

"Do you love her?" Arthur asked.

"What?" Lancelot stuttered.

"I asked if you loved her," Arthur said.

"Well, I do not know. I mean, can you love someone after knowing them only for a short time?" Lancelot inquired.

"Yes you can," Arthur replied.

"Then yes, I wholeheartedly love her," Lancelot replied.

"And the child that grows within her?" Arthur asked.

"I love it as well," Lancelot said.

"And what about after the baby is born?" Arthur asked.

"I intend to make Paige my wife and raise the child as my own," Lancelot answered coolly.

"I think that you would make a good father," Arthur commented.

* * *

The two men continued the hunt for several hours. Meanwhile, back at the wall, the women were talking amongst themselves.

"The man hardly ever says two words! Now you are telling me that he carries on whole conversations with you? Good Lord, what have you done to the man?" Guinevere gasped in shock.

"I have not done a thing. He has done everything for me from rescuing me to helping me prepare for this child. It is as if this child is ours and we are both preparing to become parents," Paige said.

"I think he is preparing to become a father," Guinevere noted.

"No, this is not his child to worry about. It is my responsibility to care for it once it arrives," Paige replied.

"You love him, do you not?" Guinevere asked.

"Yes, I do," Paige answered.

"I know for a fact that he loves you and wants to be there for you. If given the opportunity, I believe that he would love to be the father of this child. Just give him a chance to be that man. You deserve the best and Lancelot is the best," Guinevere said.

"What would I tell my child when he or she notices that Lancelot does not look like them?" Paige asked, concerned.

"You tell that child that Lancelot is their father because he loved them so much from the moment they were born," Guinevere said.

There was a long pause between the two women, both knowing the truth in the last statement.

"Do you think that given the chance, Lancelot would consider marrying me?" Paige timidly asked.

"He would not think twice, he would marry you in a moment. I see the way he looks at you and it is pure love," Guinevere exclaimed.

"Do you really believe that he loves me?" Paige asked.

"Of course I do. Arthur notices it too. He is probably talking to Lancelot at this very moment about you," Guinevere noted.

"I do not know what to do!" Paige exclaimed.

"Just do what is in your heart and it will lead you to the right thing," Guinevere advised.

Paige took to heart what Guinevere had said. Later on, she anxiously paced her room, waiting for Lancelot's return to the wall. The baby was impatient too as it kicked and bounced in her womb. The sounds of hooves against the ground brought relief to Paige's mind as she knew Lancelot and Arthur had returned home safely. She quickly left her room to greet him as he came through the door. As Lancelot walked through the door, he was surprised to see Paige waiting for him.

"Can I talk with you, alone?" she asked softly.

"Of course," he replied.

* * *

The two parted from Arthur and went outside to the stables, where it was quiet and they would not be interrupted. Paige kept her hands instinctively over her stomach. Her green eyes shifted back and forth quickly as she was incredibly nervous. Lancelot walked over to her and took her by the hands. Almost instantly, the baby kicked. Paige laughed.

"What is funny?" he asked, confused.

"Put your hand right here," she said, taking his hand and putting it on her stomach. The baby kicked again.

"The baby is strong," he said, smiling at Paige.

"If only you could feel it from the inside, then you would really know how strong it is," Paige said, laughing again.

"Somehow, I do not think that would be possible," Lancelot said, chuckling.

Paige's face went into a look of fright as she said, "Lancelot, I am scared."

"What are you afraid of?" he asked.

"Having this child alone," she answered. "When I was a child, I always dreamed of having a child of my own, but with a husband who loved me, not alone."

"You do not have to go through it alone," he said. "If you would like, I will be there for you."

"You would do that, even though the child is not yours to worry about?" she inquired.

"Paige, I have a confession to make," he said. "Since the moment that you told me of your past and the child within you, I have wanted nothing more than to be with you."

"You want to be with me?" she asked, tears streaming from her eyes.

Slowly, he bent down on one knee and looked up into her emerald eyes. He said, "Paige, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

More tears streamed down her face as she said, "Yes!"

He got up from the ground and pulled her into an embrace, being cautious of her stomach. She pulled her head from his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. Gently, he kissed her. For that moment, nothing else mattered to them but each other and the baby. Their kiss broke when the baby kicked again and Paige was forced to laugh.

"Obviously, someone wants attention," she said, looking down at her stomach.

"Well then," Lancelot replied, smiling.

He bent over and kissed her stomach. It was a quiet moment spent between the three of them. For the first time, Paige felt completely happy.

* * *

(1 week later)

Paige walked around her room. In the corner was a cradle for the baby with yellow blankets inside. Once the baby arrived, there would be either pink or blue ones. She was excited about meeting her child for the first time. But, that was still a few months away.

It was early in the morning, so no one else was awake. Paige walked over to her window and looked down in the courtyard inside the wall. Lancelot was down training the newest horse that had arrived the day before. The young stallion was being quite difficult. She covered her mouth as she laughed while Lancelot tried to mount the horse, but quickly fell off. Apparently, he heard her giggle and looked up to the window to see her standing there. Quickly, he flashed a smile at her and continued to try to mount the horse. After two more unsuccessful tries, he finally mounted the stallion. Paige smiled and walked away from the window to go down to him.

As she walked down the stairs to the courtyard, Lancelot dismounted the horse and greeted her with a gentle kiss.

"How are you this morning?" he asked.

"I am just fine. And you?" she replied.

"Doing well," he answered.

"I can see that," she said, smiling. "So, this is the new addition to the stables?"

"Indeed, Arthur wants me to train him. He is rather stubborn, but I think that with time he will make a fine horse," Lancelot said.

"I agree," Paige said.

"What are you doing out here? You should be inside where it is warmer for your health and the baby's," Lancelot said, suddenly realizing that it was freezing outside.

"Oh, nonsense. I will be fine. This baby is not coming for a while, so I want to enjoy what precious time I have left to be outside before I am confined until the baby is born," Paige replied.

"Still, do not linger out here too long. Promise me you will go inside soon and warm up," he said.

"I promise on one condition," she answered.

"What is that?" he asked.

"You come inside with me," she said.

"Alright, agreed," he consented.

* * *

The two of them went inside and warmed by the fireplace in the great hall. Paige chattered on about what names she thought of for the baby and Lancelot patiently listened and put in his opinion. He loved listening to Paige get excited about the baby.

"I was thinking about naming the baby Josiah Lancelot if it's a boy and Belle Katherine if it's a girl. What do you think?" she asked.

"Both of those names are strong, good names. I love them both," he replied, smiling at her.

"I'm glad you like them," she said, beaming with pride.

"Paige, there is something I want to ask you," he said.

"Anything," she replied.

"After the baby is born, would you come with me to see my family in Sarmatia?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered.

"I want them to meet my wife and child. We will wait until the baby is old enough to travel, of course," he said.

"I would love nothing more than to meet them," she said.

Lancelot pulled her close and embraced her. He loved her more than anyone else in the world and no matter what others would say, the child within her would always be his. In his heart he knew that his family would adore Paige as much as he did. It wouldn't be long before he became a father and husband.

**

* * *

A/N: ****I'm so sorry for not updating in a LONG time. School happened and then some other stuff got in the way. I'm hoping that I will be able to work more on this story soon, so just bear with me. **


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